The Princess and the Jedi
by dreamerwriter15
Summary: (AU) Dissatisfied with how the story played out, the Force throws two teens into AOTC as Anakin and Padme in an attempt to fix the story. Their past lives erased, they try to defeat the Sith for good in a new timeline with an altered Jedi code. When their past lives reemerge, they find a way to return to their old lives, but one of them may not make it back. Cover not mine. R&R
1. Prolouge: Rewriting History

**Hello lovely people! Yes, I am back. My life at college has finally settled down enough to where I can start writing stories again. Unfortunately, I have for the moment lost my muse for Tears of an Angel, but once I get it back I will get right back on it.**

 **For the time being, I am working on this. It just came to me after all of the hype about the Force Awakens (which is an AWESOME movie, if you have not watched it, go do that) and the fact that I am a Star Wars Superfan.**

 **The picture is not mine, it belongs to jayjayhowkins on DeviantArt but the picture just fits this story so well and it is coincidentally my favorite piece of Star Wars fanart. I did get her permission to use it, don't you worry.**

As Anakin Skywalker passed in the arms of his loving son following the death of the Emperor, the Force looked on, dissatisfied with the way the story had gone. Anakin had not been fated to fall to the Dark Side; that was not what his destiny was supposed to be. Anakin's old mentor had been perfectly right; Anakin was the Chosen One meant to destroy the Sith, not join them. Padme Amidala, Mace Windu, the Jedi, none of them had been meant to die. Anakin's story had not gone at all the way the Force originally intended. The story was not meant to end with the destruction of the Republic; the Force saw an eternal state of war if the story was not rectified. The Sith needed to be completely destroyed, and Anakin was the only one able to achieve it.

She sighed, knowing that the story she'd set out had been uprooted by things she had not accounted for. She saw parts where it went wrong; the Jedi Code being the most fatal flaw. The way the Jedi Code had been interpreted for thousands of years forbade the Jedi from experiencing the very emotions that made them human, believing that any emotion was the path to the Dark Side. The Force also knew that there were other flaws that she could not see that would require rectification.

The Force realized that the only way to mend the broken galaxy was to rewrite the past by sending Anakin and Padme back to the beginning and rescue the shattered Republic. Unfortunately, the Force, as powerful as she was, did not have the power to bring souls back from the afterlife. The Force would have to wait and search the universe for the reincarnated souls of Anakin and Padme, no matter how long it took.

Hundreds of years of searching occupied the Force, waiting for the two who could rewrite history and free the galaxy from the tyranny of the Sith and the Empire. As the Force waited and searched, she grew saddened by the state of the galaxy, caught in an eternal tug of war between the light and dark side. When the Force finally succeeded, the galaxy was in ruins; most of the life within it wiped out, and the Jedi all but forgotten.

In the Felinaus Galaxy, in an Outer Rim star system harboring a planet called Earth, sitting outside of a Starbucks in Austin Texas, the Force finally stumbled upon the man and woman destined to set the story to rights and save her galaxy.

* * *

Austin Strider glanced his blue eyes up to his best friend as they sipped coffee at their favorite Starbucks. "If you could change just one law in the Star Wars universe, what would you change?" The often discussed subjects such as this. The young adults were huge fans of Star Wars, especially the prequel trilogy. They often traded ideas back and forth on how Star Wars could have been changed to have a happier ending and fully defeat the Sith.

He waited for Paige to think while drinking his cold coffee. They'd been here for the last few hours after seeing The Force Awakens.

"Well, Jedi would be able to marry and have families." She began. "I never thought the No-Attachment law made any real sense. The emotions that Jedi were supposed to suppress: anger, fear, pain, hatred, passion, love; are what makes us human. They are the 'path to the Dark Side' only depending on the way we act on them. Love and passion are the exact opposites of hate and darkness, which belong to the Sith. Shouldn't Jedi, in that respect, be able to love? I think it makes more sense for them to have the ability to marry and have children, but most just choose not to."

"Why?" Austin shivered as a cold wind breezed past him. The wind blew Paige's curly hair back. She didn't seem to notice; she was too absorbed in her explanation.

"Jedi seem to go off to dangerous places and planets, sometimes for months or years at a time; keeping a family intact wouldn't be easy given that. Given their position, those they love could also be put in danger. I believe that most Jedi would distance themselves from others for fear of them getting hurt. In other words, I think that attachments would be uncommon; but not expressly forbidden." She paused, sipping her coffee and feeling the vanilla latte slide down her throat. "I think that the Jedi Order would encourage the Jedi with the most power or those tempted by the Dark Side to settle down and have families. A family would help keep them grounded."

"Do you think that Anakin would have taken a different path if that had been allowed, given his dreams?"

"I think that those dreams are open to interpretation. The future isn't set in stone. Those dreams showed him what happened when he stayed on that path. Any small change or choice that he would have made would have made would have saved Padme from that fate. They could have gone to Naboo; he could have sided with Master Windu; he could have left the Jedi Temple and spent that time with Padme; he could have even taken up her offer on Mustafar. To be honest I think that he would have chosen Padme if Obi-Wan hadn't stepped out of her ship."

She thought for a minute then started again. "Anakin went to Palpatine and fell to the Dark Side because he had no support from the Jedi. If he had been able to go to the Jedi and tell them what was going on without scorn from them, I fully believe that he would have been able stay on the Light Side and still save Padme. Luke and Leia would have grown up together with two very loving and powerful parents in a peaceful Republic."

"What if…" Austin started, but Austin and Paigewere suddenly blinded by a pure white light.

"What in Alderaan?" Austin shot as he lost sight of Paige. He saw an alternate history, a different past, flash before his eyes: being sold into slavery with his mother and his twin sister Alexxa; screaming as she was taken from him and his mother before their fifth birthday; meeting the eight year old Princess Padme Amidala, heir to the throne of Naboo, after she was escorted from her home planet for her own safety; watching Padme's father King Ruwee Amidala reinstated as the rightful ruler of Naboo; entering the Jedi Order but still spending time with his mother after she married; getting to know his stepbrother Owen; reuniting with Padme and struggling to keep a platonic relationship with her; and standing beside Padme on the shores of the lake, realizing that he loved the Princess, and had always loved her. As these images flashed behind his eyes, his former life as Austin Strider faded away into oblivion. Anakin Skywalker was his name and life now.

He opened his eyes and saw the beauty that was Princess Padme Amidala sitting in front of him, her radiant skin illuminated by firelight.

* * *

Paige shielded her eyes as Austin disappeared from her sight. Her memories as Paige Alexander melted away like candle wax, to be replaced with memories from a long time ago in a galaxy far far away.

Her mind was bombarded with images of her life up to this point. Growing up happy and playful on Naboo; watching in horror as the Trade Federation ships descended to usurp the throne from her able father; being covertly escorted from her planet by Qui-Gon Jinn and his padawan Obi-Wan-Kenobi; landing on Tatooine and meeting the young slave boy Anakin; petitioning the Senate to help her people, and struggling to be taken seriously on account of her age; returning to her planet to help her father; watching her father be reinstated as the King of Naboo; witnessing the first of several attempts on her life at the tender age of fourteen; four years later serving her people, despite the danger posed, as a Senator to Naboo with Jar Jar Binks, something that she couldn't believe; having Obi-Wan and his Padawan Anakin assigned as her protection; struggling to conceal the feelings she harbored for the handsome Jedi apprentice; and returning to Naboo for her own protection, much to her chagrin.

After these images flashed behind her eyes, she felt the warmth of a fire and heard a pleasant voice talking to her. She opened them and her eyes fell upon the deep blue that belonged to her guardian Anakin Skywalker.


	2. Hearts

Padme fidgeted with her tight leather gown. She felt uncomfortable and self-conscious in the sleek black gown. If she had her way the gown wouldn't even be in her wardrobe, but it was custom for royal Nabooan women to wear such outfits to royal functions, and her father had required that she wear it to such a royal occasion this morning.

Regardless, she'd hated all of the lustful eyes on her as she strolled through the ballroom, Anakin luckily by her side. He seemed to have taken his body guard detail very seriously, and kept many a crass young man from getting too close to the Princess. The first one to approach her, obviously drunk, had tried to grab Padme and drag her away. Anakin came in between them thankfully, but the man was lucky that he came away with all of his limbs intact. Despite his fierceness, Padme was grateful for Anakin's presence. Something about him seemed to strike fear into those he was protecting Padme from, but it could have simply been the lightsaber he always kept at his waist.

Once Padme was Queen she would do her best to get rid of such sexualized garments; she would much rather wear something modest and flowing to royal events.

While she discretely pulled at the strapless bodice of her gown, she noticed Anakin watching her intently. He had the strangest look of adoration in his blue eyes. It wasn't unsettling; it was just that no one had ever looked at her that way before. Most men had obvious greed in their eyes, but not Anakin; his gaze was almost protective, as if he would do anything for her and keep her safe until the day he died. His gaze was comforting. Padme had never felt safer in her life than when Anakin came with her to Naboo.

"Forgive me Princess, but I have to tell you the truth." Anakin began. Padme instantly made eye contact with him.

Padme knew that she had to stay the calm and rational one. "Anakin, if you are asking me to forgive you it is best if you not say it at all."

"You are asking me to be rational. That is something I cannot do." He protested, inching towards her. She hoped that he could not hear her heart beat pick up as he grew closer to her. He continued. "Ever since I met you, all those years ago, not a day has gone by that I haven't thought of you. And being with you now, I am in agony. When I saw that man try and take you, it took all of my strength to leave him standing. The thought of someone hurting you, it drives me senseless. The thought of not _being_ with you, I can't breathe. I've been trying to keep my distance from you Padme; fulfill my Jedi duty and simply protect you, but I realize that I can't do that anymore. I care about you too much. You have stolen my heart, but it is breaking, tormented by the fact that when you are safe again, I will have to leave you, and possibly never see you again. What can I do? I will do anything that you ask." Anakin finished his heart felt monologue with the tears evident in his voice.

Padme was speechless.

He waited a few moments for her to respond, then begged her, "If you are suffering as much as I am, please tell me."

Padme turned her face away from him, trying to conceal the tears that threatened to leak from her eyes. How could she tell him that they could never be together? Ever since he stepped back into her life all that she'd wanted was for her feelings to be reciprocated in Anakin. Ever since they'd met those ten long years ago - while she'd served her people as their Princess and their Senator - all that she'd wanted was to see Anakin again. Even at the tender age of eight something about him had stuck with her, and she'd found herself falling in love with him over those years, not knowing if she would ever see him again. Now that she had, and was with him, she was torn between her heart and her duty.

She knew that her parents would never approve. Since she was of Royal blood, tradition dictated that she marry someone of at least noble blood, if not Royal. Anakin was the exact opposite of Naboo tradition. Not only had he been born a slave, but he was also fatherless. All of the nobility of Naboo would turn their nose up at and staunchly oppose a marriage between their beloved Princess and a slave's illegitimate son whose paternity could not be proven.

Conflicted, and knowing that what she said next might break his heart, and hers with it, Padme opted for a cut and dry response. "We… we can't. It's just not possible."

"Anything is possible Padme, listen to me."

She stopped him there, shooting up off of the couch. "No, you listen! We live in a real world, come back to it!"

At that moment Anakin also stood up, confronting her. "Is it because I'm a Jedi?" He demanded, approaching her. He stopped when she pushed him away gently.

"Regardless of the way we feel about each other Anakin, you're not the problem; I am. "

"Then you do feel something." He pushed, subtly inching her towards the wall. I wish that I could just wish away my feelings, but I can't.

"I don't have a say in the matter. Naboo custom dictates that I marry a Noble."

"But you do have feelings for me?" The Jedi pushed again.

By now Padme could feel the cold stone of the wall against her back. She avoided eye contact with him in her compromised position. He would know how tormented she was if she let her gaze meet his.

Finally, she said, "I won't let you give up your future for me. If my parents or anyone on Naboo found out about us, the consequences would be..."

"So what if there are?" Anakin interrupted her, stepping back and freeing the Princess. She moved back to the couch and he followed, settling next to her. "You mean more to me than anything in the galaxy, Padme. I'm never going to stop fighting for you. Your parents and Naboo would eventually come to understand."

In a final push to get through to him, Padme gave Anakin the full explanation. "Anakin, you don't understand. I wouldn't be able to live with what my parents would do to you. If they found out about us…" She paused, fighting to keep the tears out of her voice and out of her eyes, even though what she was about to say sent shock waves through her. "They would kill you."


End file.
